EDMONDS — A law firm under contract with the city of Edmonds for 20 years terminated its agreement in March, citing differences with Mayor Mike Nelson.

In the resignation letter obtained by The Daily Herald via public records request, lawyers at Zachor, Stock, and Krepps cited Nelson’s intention in his October budget address to hire “in-city” prosecutors as part of its reasoning for ending the relationship.

“To say we were surprised by this is an understatement,” the firm wrote. “It is a clear example of a lack of communication between the executive and his contracted staff.”

Zachor, Stock, and Krepps contracts with over half a dozen other cities in Snohomish County, including Arlington, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Sultan and Woodway.

In his October speech, the mayor said contracting with an outside law firm has led to “escalating costs and challenges.” The law firm received a monthly retainer of $25,000 as of January, according to the contract.

Nelson did not directly respond to a request for comment, but the city released a statement regarding the termination of the contract.

After “particularly challenging negotiations,” the firm signed a new contract with Edmonds in December 2021 to run from January 2022 through the end of this year, city spokesperson Kelsey Foster said in an email.

On March 10, however, the firm ended its contract early, with July 8 as the final day of its services.

“It has been an honor and privilege working with the Edmonds Police Department to serve and protect citizens of Edmonds for the last 20+ years,” law firm partner Yelena Stock wrote in an emailed statement. “The dedication and professionalism of the Edmonds Police Department is a relationship that we will never forget.”

After the contract was terminated, the city quickly tried to find a new prosecuting attorney and is in the final stages of the selection process, Foster said. The potential candidate has “extensive” experience prosecuting in the region, with a decades-long background in criminal law, the spokesperson noted.

“Negotiations resulted in a mutually favorable contract with the City that will provide excellent prosecutorial services and result in a lower cost to the City,” Foster said.

The City Council will review the contract and vote whether to approve it at its meeting June 20.

“We were all shocked that they decided to resign out of the blue,” said City Council member Diane Buckshnis, who is running for mayor against Nelson. “I thought they were doing a great job. The administration is non-communicative with things like that.”

Mike Rosen, a former city planning member who is also running for mayor, said he was unaware of any issues about a strained relationship with the law firm.

A fourth mayoral candidate, former Edmonds senior planner Brad Shipley, declined to comment.

During his budget address, the incumbent mayor also requested a $3 million investment in the police department, including eight more police officers and police equipment “to aid in the capture of dangerous felons.”

The law firm’s resignation comes months before the primary election. In his campaign, Nelson has spoken about his desire to be tough on crime. In April, the mayor warned criminals after a 13-year-old boy was shot in a suspected drive-by shooting.

“If you think you can come to our city and commit violence using deadly force, you will be met with deadly force from our officers,” he said.

“Our philosophy towards prosecution … clearly articulated a focus on restorative justice practices when appropriate,” the firm wrote in the resignation letter. “Those practices focus on treatment and education as a way to reduce recidivism rather than the traditional approach focusing on jail as a primary deterrent of criminal conduct.”

The Lynnwood firm also lists the city’s inability to fill a domestic violence coordinator position for over a year as another reason for ending the contract. This “drastically” increased the lawyers’ workload and forced them to deviate from their contracted work.

“It is with great sadness that it has come to this,” the firm wrote. “We wish the best of luck to the City of Edmonds in meeting its goals for criminal justice, whatever they may be.”

Clarification: An earlier version of this story said Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson did not respond to a reporter’s request for comment. The city responded in a statement. Nelson did not directly return a reporter’s phone calls.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.